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Which of the pre-marriage courses on offer now
meet
the requirements of the Catholic Church?
Criteria set by the Irish Catholic Bishops (2011), regarding
courses preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage.*
- The spirituality of marriage is central to marriage preparation. As well as drawing from human experience, the vision of marriage will be ...
- The core elements of a marriage relationship should form the basis... choosing the sacrament, conflict management etc...
- The emphasis should be on the couple and their needs. ... Couples should feel free to engage in any discussion as they desire....
- Programmes should involve 9 facilitated hours of client contact, be multi-sessional, and delivered at a leisurely pace....
- All programme facilitators should receive the highest standard of training, ideally, accredited by a Catholic institution....
- Clergy Participation: Programmes should be co-facilitated by a team of laypersons and clergy, in promoting sacramental marriage....
* from a document by the bishops' committee to monitor the quality of Catholic marriage preparation courses.
Pre-marriage courses are being assessed by a special committee, to help raise standards, country-wide. To ask for their assessment of any particular course, write to the Committee Chairman, at The Newman Institute, Cathedral Close, Ballina Co. Mayo. Otherwise, you can check with your local diocesan office.
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